Improving Schools Withouth Spending More $$

Parents Forum
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<p>kayf - Absolutely! Ten years ago when youngest Ds were in elementary school DW (who teaches college science) volunteered to do exactly what you describe. Other parents were volunteering in different areas, reading especially. Then the Principal retired. Subsequent Principals were less positive inclined (er, make that disinclined) to have volunteers in the school. But I agree with you -- this worked really well.</p>

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<p>The above speaks directly to Geoffrey Canada's non-profit Harlem Children's Network. He engages the entire family into the learning process. I've seen him speak a couple of times and one thing that really stuck with me is that you can't tell a family that has 8 people living in two bedrooms that a "reading nook" is important. They don't have nooks. But it is this early support of parents that makes a huge difference and you have to START somewhere. His non-profit has about 10,000 children it supports.</p>

<p>I think Obama telling parents to turn off the TV and check in to their child's life is another positive step. But I agree that just throwing money at the system doesn't work, but I spend the money I do on a private education because I already have on child who suffered from my having to deal with an underfunded (and uninspired teachers) program.</p>

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<p>On the topic of cheap ideas, I have noticed our schools making tremendous strides in the parent communication area these last few years with extensive use of email and school websites. I can check on grades, attendance, lunch money, etc. but also see event calendars, teacher/staff directories, newsletters and college counseling information. For me this wealth of information has made a huge difference. The principals have also told the teachers they need to answer parent emails within 24 hours and I usually get a reply within an hour or two. Some of the teachers, primarily math, send out weekly updates about upcoming tests and what the class is working on. </p>

<p>Another general policy I think makes a difference is that the principal at my son's large public high school is constantly telling all the students to get involved in at least one activity be it sports, fine arts, ROTC or a club of some sort. He says that the involved students have less attendance and grade problems and more motivation to show up and do well in school. The school now has a huge amount of pride and school spirit. </p>

<p>I have one child in a private high school and the other is in a public school so it's been very interesting for me to compare the two systems. The private school surprisingly has less parental involvement. I think this is partly because families live all over town and the school is a long commute for many of them. The public school parents tend to be either extremely involved (some take things a little too far) or not involved at all. </p>

<p>I have a SIL who has lived in Germany for many years and raised her children there. She is always amazed when she visits at the number of extra-curricular activities going on at my children's schools. She said they don't have sports or other activities in their schools, just academic classes. Her children seemed to be tracked at an early age into vocational tracks with apprenticeships at private companies. I have a hard time imaginging a high school without sports or fine arts since it was such an important part of my own childhood.</p>

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<p>As a middle school teacher in CA which has just finalized a state budget on education's back, I can agree that something needs to be done. What few people realize is that it is possible to get rid of "dead-weight" teachers. What it takes is a strong administrator willing to put the teacher through a review process. What is harder is to get rid of dead weight at district offices and state educational departments. My district is at the bottom of the pay scale (by at least ten thousand) in our whole county and teachers haven't received any raises or cost of living increases in 8 years, yet our administrators top the salary chart. Under NCLB my site had to accept anyone from our two underperforming schools so we now have 1,500 students on a campus built for 800. We have an incredible staff where most of us put in 10 hour days and give up our lunch period to tutor and assist struggling students but it is getting harder and harder. In the last week we had bottle bombs set off, three teachers had things stolen from their rooms, and we were in "lock-down" because of a SWAT issue down the street. We aren't given supplies like in elementary schools, but used to be given a $150 yearly budget to purchase items from the district warehouse. This was cut off in November when word got out about impending cuts. About half my students come with no paper, pencils, or supplies but they all have cell phones. I could go on and on but come Monday, nothing will change. Luckily, I have a thick skin, love the kids (hooligans and all), and remain an optimist living in what my own kids teasingly call "a bubble world".</p>

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<p>Too it is interesting to me! A good question, the truth not all has understood.</p>

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<p>"On the topic of cheap ideas, I have noticed our schools making tremendous strides in the parent communication area these last few years with extensive use of email and school websites." </p>

<p>-assuming parents have access to computers or even phones.</p>

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<p>If the test is appropriate, there is absolute nothing wrong in "Teaching the Test."</p>

<p>The problem isn't the teacher, "teaching the test." The problem may be that the test is just this side of being complete nonsense.</p>

<p>I live in Virginia where we have had the Standards of Learning in effect for over 8 years. When I home schooled, I used the "released tests" to ensure that my kids knew what "the system" expected of them.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, the tests had some problems. In some cases, there wasn't a "right" answer. Other questions were for weird things that our "educators" in Richmond thought were important like: How does a "Stem & Leaf" diagram work. </p>

<p>The tests should test to the standards and the standards should be appropriate and useful.</p>

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<p>I have mixed feelings about teacher tenure. When it "protects" poor teachers from required training or firing of course tenure is counterproductive. However in this day of budget cutting tenure is of value too because it prevents the firing of good, experienced teachers with high salaries and replacing them with lower salaried new hires.</p>

<p>And of course good parenting can greatly improve student academic performance. And this applies to parents who offer more support for performance on the playing field that performance in the classroom.</p>

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<p>Originaloog, you've hit the nail pretty squarely regarding teacher tenure. It is in times like these that tenure makes sense. Good, experienced teachers could be axed as school administrators/Boards are asked to create budgets, make schools work on less and less money. When people can't pay taxes, mortgages, etc. it's tough to pay what experienced teachers are worth. Let's say a new school board is elected with an agenda of lowering taxes, expenses, etc. One quick way to do that is to get rid of experience and hire rookies. I certainly agree that most board members want what is best for our students, but there are always exceptions who see only the dollar signs. They are elected officials and politicians who can succumb to public demand.</p>

<p>I think the best way to make sure tenure doesn't "protect" poor teachers is to hold the building administrators responsible to make the poor teacher better. That's their job! Staff development should do just that--develop staff into stronger, better teachers. If the teachers don't get stronger, the administrator can--and should--get the ball rolling toward dismissal. </p>

<p>Tenure doesn't mean a school can't dismiss a poor teacher, rather it requires a paper trail and poor evaluation documentation that proves the teacher's not doing an adequate job. Not easy, but not impossible. In my mind the real problem lies with weak administrators who don't follow through with regular, poor evaluations for those less-than-stellar educators.</p>

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<p>Another way that schools could improve without spending any dough would be to add more time to discuss the do's and don't's of social interaction. This could be done during homeroom periods, miscellaneous open periods (i.e., those reserved for assemblies and other special events), or--ideally--right in the context of routine classroom discussions (e.g, when talking about a book that everyone is reading or a social problem that might crop up as part of the science or social studies curriculum).</p>

<p>My son, a 6th grader, is suddenly at the epicenter of a hormonal hurricane, with preteens texting at all hours (where are the parents?), chatting on IM, and "going out" (though they go nowhere and often don't even lay eyes on each other during the "going out" period since it may not exceed 24 hours).</p>

<p>I am constantly providing him with golden-rule-esque instructions as he navigates this adolescent maze, yet I am repeatedly appalled by the way that some of the kids treat each other (and which appears to be accepted as the norm). Many of these middle-schoolers seem clueless about basic courtesies, which I had learned by kindergarten (e.g., don't discuss a pending party in a group if not all are invited; don't openly distribute the invitations to said event on the school bus). Kids sometimes don't show up at parties they've said they'd attend while others unabashedly ask the host to add them to guest lists although they were not invited.</p>

<p>Arguably, social skills, manners, and, especially, consideration and compassion should be taught at home, but often, apparently, they are not. </p>

<p>Our school district offers Sex Ed starting in 4th grade, but, so far, it's been a wham-bam affair (so to speak ;) ) that lasts an hour or so once a year. There's also a D.A.R.E. program of longer duration in the elementary schools, but it focuses primarily on substance abuse and peer pressure, not enough on interaction, which is what I feel should be incorporated into the school day throughout the year, especially in middle school.</p>

<p>We read a lot on CC about students having horrific roommate problems when they get to college. While there is no magic bullet to eliminate all of these, I do feel that, if younger kids were more regularly schooled (in school!) about appropriate interactions, then the transition to college would be far smoother for most.</p>